Abd-Elaal Ali A, Tawfik Salah M, Abd-Elhamid Ahmed, Salem Khalaf G, El-Hoshoudy A N
Petrochemicals Department, Egyptian Petroleum Research Institute, Naser City, Cairo, Egypt.
Department of Reservoir Engineering, South Valley Egyptian Petroleum Holding Company (GANOPE), Cairo, Egypt.
Sci Rep. 2024 Nov 12;14(1):27689. doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-78128-5.
The growing need for energy and the depletion of oil wells necessitate advanced Enhanced Oil Recovery (EOR) techniques, particularly water and polymer flooding, which play a crucial role in augmenting hydrocarbon recovery rates. However, water flooding in high-permeability layers often leads to water breakthroughs, reduced sweep efficiency, and the formation of preferential channels, posing significant challenges to oil recovery and reservoir management. Conformance control treatments, including the use of polymer microspheres, offer a promising solution by sealing high-permeability zones and enhancing sweep efficiency. This study focuses on the application of fluorescent polymer microspheres based on polyacrylamide, which is extensively employed in the oil sector as an oil displacement agent. Fluorescent polymers called Poly 400, Poly 200, and Poly 600, incorporating cationic methacrylamide monomers, were synthesized through copolymerization to create amphiphilic polymers with enhanced stability and functionality. These fluorescent polymers were evaluated through flooding tests using a quarter-five-spot model of transparent quartz glass under UV light, allowing for instantaneous measurement and observation of fluorescence intensity. At reservoir conditions, the oil displacement experiments confirm that the incremental oil after water flooding by Poly 400, Poly 200, and Poly 600, is 13.1%, 9.1%, and 6.1% of OOIP respectively. The findings showed that fluorescent polymer microspheres could efficiently target high-permeability layers, adapt to varying pore throat sizes, and improve the plugging rate of high-permeability channels, thereby optimizing oil recovery. A subsequent simulation study using the CMG simulator provided further insights into the efficacy of these fluorescent polymers as EOR agents, revealing their potential to enhance sweep efficiency and enhance oil recovery. Simulation results showed that oil saturation decreased from 68% (initial) to 13.5%, 16.1%, and 18.3% after Poly 400, Poly 200, and Poly 600 flooding respectively. This work highlights the potential of fluorescent polymer microspheres as a valuable tool for EOR applications, offering significant advancements in reservoir management and oil recovery optimization.
对能源需求的不断增长以及油井的枯竭使得先进的强化采油（EOR）技术成为必要，特别是水驱和聚合物驱，它们在提高烃类采收率方面发挥着关键作用。然而，高渗透层中的水驱往往会导致水突破、波及效率降低以及优先通道的形成，给原油采收和油藏管理带来重大挑战。包括使用聚合物微球在内的调剖处理通过封堵高渗透区和提高波及效率提供了一个有前景的解决方案。本研究聚焦于基于聚丙烯酰胺的荧光聚合物微球的应用，聚丙烯酰胺在石油领域被广泛用作驱油剂。通过共聚合成了包含阳离子甲基丙烯酰胺单体的荧光聚合物Poly 400、Poly 200和Poly 600，以制备具有增强稳定性和功能性的两亲聚合物。在紫外光下使用透明石英玻璃的五点法井网模型通过驱替试验对这些荧光聚合物进行了评估，从而能够即时测量和观察荧光强度。在油藏条件下，驱油实验证实，Poly 400、Poly 200和Poly 600水驱后的增油量分别为原始地质储量的13.1%、9.1%和6.1%。研究结果表明，荧光聚合物微球能够有效地靶向高渗透层，适应不同的孔喉尺寸，并提高高渗透通道的封堵率，从而优化原油采收率。随后使用CMG模拟器进行的模拟研究进一步深入了解了这些荧光聚合物作为EOR剂的功效，揭示了它们提高波及效率和提高原油采收率的潜力。模拟结果表明，分别用Poly 400、Poly 200和Poly 600驱替后，油饱和度从初始的68%降至13.5%、16.1%和18.3%。这项工作突出了荧光聚合物微球作为EOR应用的宝贵工具的潜力，为油藏管理和原油采收优化提供了重大进展。
